Strangers in a very strange land
by Dark Elf2
Summary: If you play D&D than you know what it is like to get into a character, well these four(?) got really into them.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the forgotten realms, though I do play there all the time.  The characters you see are based on me and my friends, and the characters that we portray in Faerun AKA D&D.  The names have been changed but anyone of my friends who read this, you know who you are.

**Strangers in a Really Strange Land**

This is the story of the four who did not belong, as told to me by Storm Silverhand.

Chapter One: Introductions

'Thrust, parry, dodge, parry, slash' thought the elf, as he deftly fought the soldiers that were swarming around he and his comrades.  He looked to the sky to see the passing of the only member of his party not weighed down.

A human with platinum hair flew on white wings that protruded from his cloak.  In his hands was a finely crafted war scythe.  As he would fly by overhead, he would make deft swings, killing some and wounding many.

The elf looked to his other two comrades.  The dwarf, who carried no visible weapon beyond his spiked and hooked armor, was causing large amounts of chaos by running headlong through whichever target was in front of him at any given time, the grizzly remains of some of his victims still hung from the spikes of his armor.

And lastly he looked to the final member of the team.  The half elf was the fairest of them, but she was also one of the most cunning fighters they had, she made deft slashes with her long sword and easily deflecting attacks with the small shield on her arm.

The elf returned to the task at hand, dispatching the newest foe to step his way.  He then called on one of the powers he possessed and sent a small, tight gust of wind, that sent several of the soldiers flying, but he hadn't been looking too well at this intended targets.

"Hey watch it, I am trying to fly here." Commented the angel.

The Elf just sent a look his way and went back to the task at hand.  "Now where did the wizard go." He mumbled to himself.  When he saw the bolt of lighting streak threw the air towards the Angel, who deftly dodges the blast.  The elf looked to the source of the bolt, where he finally located the red robed mage.  He started cutting down people to get to him.

'God I love this.' Thought the flying man as he dodged the bolt of lightning, then wheeled around and swung his scythe, cleanly separating his targets head from his shoulders.  He made another few passes taking down more soldiers as he went, but then he saw that girl he cared for was being snuck up behind, and he dashed to her rescue.  He angled to come just over her head and brought his weapon around in an arch that opened up the stomach of the man who had dared to try and kill, 'his girl.'

She felt him fly over her head, and heard his weapon impact with the man behind her, just as she stuck her sword straight through the chest of her current opponent, then shocking him with the deadly energy that magically powered the weapon.  She looked up to the flyer, gave him a wink, to which he responded with that smirk he always wore.  She turned back and found that there was no one left to fight; the few remaining ran in terror when the red wizard who had led them was skewered on the point of her comrade's scimitar.

The dwarf looked on as the few remaining soldier ran away in sheer terror.  He thought about chasing them, but decided they weren't worth it.  He turned and made sure that the others were out of splatter range and then shook himself to get all of the pieces of corpses off of his armor.  It had used to scare him, when he had looked at himself after a fight, and saw the pieces of bodies that were stuck to him.  'But now' he thought, 'after five years here, I am kind of used to it.'

He looked to his friends, who were either cleaning off weapons or checking for any valuables on the dead.  He walked over to join them.

The elf turned to the man, whose wings had returned to their normal state as his cloak, and stared at him.

"David, next time you ask us if we want to help the sister of a friend of yours, tell us who the friend is.  I thought you meant something simple, like help one of those farmer girls you know rebuild a barn or something.  Not Help Alustriel by investigating a red wizard who had set up shop not to far from your home."

"What, Storm asked me if I could handle it, and I said that I could call in some favors for a little help and she left me to it.  You and Daniel agreed so quickly that I figured you knew it was gonna be something involving a fight."

Daniel, the dwarf, walked up at this point. "Oh I guessed their might be a fight, but I didn't think you were asking us to join in on your Harper business."

David, who by this point had a bemused look on his face, said "Last year when we got together, I let you in on the fact that I joined the harpers, and am one of the resident ones for Silverymoon, and you don't think I am gonna ask you guys to help when I have a difficult assignment that I could use some trustworthy help on.  Please."

The half elf girl, who came up and wrapped her arm around David's waist, chuckled and said, "Oh they are just unhappy because they did a job like this and now they don't think they are gonna get paid."

"Ah, thanks for the insight Gwen." David turned to the other two. "Who said there wasn't a reward in it for you?"

Both Daniel and Mike looked to him with the eyes that said it all.  The eyes said how much.

David reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out two silver bracelets.  Each with a white stone set into it.  He tossed one to each of the bewildered warriors.  He then held up his wrist, as did Gwen, to reveal similar bracelets on their wrists.

"These bracelets were made by Alustriel herself.  They link the four of us, to silvery moon and each other.  As long as you are wearing it, we can locate each other no matter where in Faerun we are.  They also allow you a safe haven and an escape route, for if you tap the gemstone twice and speak the word Silverymoon, you will be teleported to the gates of the silver city.  They are also scrying devices that will allow us to keep in touch better.  Again just tap it and speak the name, the faerunian name, of whichever one of us you want to speak to."

Mike looked a little perplexed, "So if you wanted to talk to me you would tap it and say Felcon.  Or Liren Bloodhammer, for the short guy."

"Yes and for Gwen you would call for Kiana," and then David struck a heroic pose, "And for me you would call for Tev Seckal, the Angel of Death, and divine champion of the god Jergal." He held the pose for another couple of seconds, until the others started to snicker.  He then went back to normal, "You get the general idea though right."

"Yeah I get it." Said Daniel as he took off a gauntlet in order to slip the bracelet on.  He then replaced the gauntlet.  "Well, now that this business is done, I'm off.  Got places to go and drinks to drink."  He turned and sauntered out of the building.

Mike also attached the bracelet to his wrist. "I too have some places to go, but I will keep in touch.  I'm gonna go see how much a red wizards spell book sells for on the open market."  He snickered at his comment and began walking out of the old building.

David turned to half-elf woman, "Well, shall we be returning to Silverymoon to report in now Kiana."

"I believe we shall Tev."

The two grinned at the names that they now wore in this world that was not their own.  They both tapped the stones on the bracelets that they wore.  In a bright flash of white light, they found themselves returned to their home.  They stared in awe at the massive city of Silverymoon.

"I know we had cities much larger than this back home, but it still amazes me how fantastic this city seems, you know what I mean Kiana."  Now that others were around he reverted to calling her by her Faerunian name.

"Yeah Tev, I know what you mean.  Can you believe that we have been here for five years?"

"It is hard to get over."

As they walked through the city in the direction of the home that they shared, they spoke of the old times they had once known.  Upon reaching their home, they found some drinks, made themselves comfortable in one of the sitting rooms, and continued to discuss the way things were before they had come to this land.  They continued to talk as they both thought back to that fateful day five years before…

The four of them were sitting in David's living room.  They were positioned around the room in various positions.  Gwen was sprawled across a sofa with a dragon magazine in her lap.  Daniel was sitting on the floor looking at prestige classes.  Michael was busy reading threw his new star wars books.  And David was sitting in the "dm's" chair, on the phone.

"Yes Mr. Garison, have you seen Brian?  No, he hasn't been around all day.  Well thanks."

Gwen looks up from her magazine, which has an article about a new prestige class.  "So where is he?"

"His dad says he has been gone all day?  Weird thing is that his car is still at his house.  Well look the like the game is cancelled."

Mike sat up and turned to the others. "Well, I could run a game of Star Wars."

In unison, "NO!"

In a meek voice, "It was just a thought."

"So what do we do now?" asked David.  David turned to the others, and noticed that they were all staring at him. "What?"

Gwen, who continued to stare at him, said "David, you're uh, glowing."

"I'm what?"  It was then that he noticed that his body was giving off a slight faint bluish light.  And as he looked around he noticed that he wasn't the only one.  The other three had started to do the same.  Then the light became much, much brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

If I owned Faerun, don't you think I would be publishing my stories, and making lots of money?  Ah If only.

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**Strangers in a very strange land**

Chapter two: Recollections

David sat up, and stared around, for he found that he was no longer in his living room.  He was in a building that looked a lot like a church, but the large seal on the podium was not a cross.  It was a symbol he would not expect to see in a church, at least not in his life.  It was the blue and red seal of Mystra

It was then that he took the time to look at himself.  He was wearing fine blue and white robes over a suit of finely crafted chain mail and there was a set of white wings folded behind his back.  Before him was a large mirror-like surface, and he took the time to see his image clearly.  His hair was worn long and undone, and it was pure white in color.  And his eyes were a deep rich purple; they shimmered in the low light of the church.

'I look like Yue from card captors.' He thought to himself.

David took a moment to look around and saw that he wasn't the only one there.  A priest, wearing the robes of a cleric of Mystra, was before him, looking slightly winded.  On his left on two more stone tables like the one he was sitting on, lay two elves.  One was a woman, and he realized that, based on her complexion, she was actually a half elf.  She had tanned skin, and light brown hair.  She had the pointed ears of an elf, but they were not as well defined, as the second elf in the room.

The second elf was small and slight, probably didn't way more than 120 pounds.  He had dark hair, and very pale skin.  He wore leather armor, and a large long bow was laid beside him.

David then turned the other direction and saw one other lying on another table.  He was shorter than any of them, but he made up for it in girth.  David knew that he had to be a dwarf.  He had fiery red beard that stuck out of his spiked helmet.  And his black hooked and spiked armor made him a fearsome sight.

David turned to the priest, who was leaning against the altar looking a bit winded.

"Where are we?" he questioned.

"You are in a temple to the Lady Mystra, in Silverymoon."

"We are in silvery moon.  As in the domain of Alustriel."

"That is correct."

"Oh boy.  This is not what I was expecting."

"What do you mean my friend?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"You are Tev Seckal, The Angel of Death."

"Oh shit.  This is very bad."

"What do you mean?  What is wrong?"

The others, who were slowly coming around, stared at the two as the conversation grew louder.

"My name is not Tev Seckal, my name is David Anderson.  Tev Seckal is a character I created."

The cleric stared at him in wonder for a long moment.  Then he turned away, muttering, "I don't understand this.  The spell was perfect."

The dwarf who seemed to finally have found a voice asked. "What are you talking about?"

The cleric turned to the dwarf and responded with a question of his own. "Tell me, is your name Liren Bloodhammer."

"Hell no, my name is Daniel Chills."

He then turned to the half elf, "And you are?"

"Gweneth Sanchez."

And he turned to the last one. "And you?"

"Michael Turner."

"Oh dear.  It seams that my spell was unable to locate the souls who had passed on, instead it found souls that seemed to match those of these bodies."

David looked aghast. "Wait a sec.  These guys died, and when you tried to resurrect them, you got us instead."

"That seems to be the situation.  This has never happened before.  I do not understand why it would take your spirits.  Usually if the spirits are to far gone, then the spell simply does not work.  It has never before taken another's soul.  We must inform the Lady.  She wanted to know what became of the four."

Before any of the four could respond, the cleric spoke a command word and vanished from the room.

David stared at the faces around him, faces that hid the people he knew.  "So where are we, the outer limits or the twilight zone?"

Gwen glared at him with the eyes that weren't hers. "Lousy time for jokes smart ass."

"Can you think of a better time?  We are in a very stressful environment, and this is how I lighten the mood."

"Point."

"So are we just supposed to wait here?"

Mike, who up till now had been standing quietly looking a little shell shocked, spoke up. "Well I guess we should just wait for the cleric guy to come back with a certain chosen of Mystra."

"Hmm, I wonder if she looks as good as the art work claims."

A moment later he had his answer.

Not only was she as beautiful as the pictures had shown, but she was a very impressive figure in person.  She was of average height for a human, with long silver hair like all of the seven sisters.  She was wearing a gorgeous gown of some material that shimmered the same color as her hair.  She also carried with her the regal bearing of one accustomed to rule, that presence that always follows a true leader.

"You are the four that Jasten spoke of?"

"If Jasten is the guy in the robes of a cleric of Mystra, then yes." Replied David.

"I must admit that based on what he said, I have no idea how you came to be brought here, but I will tell you that I will do anything I can to find a way for you to return to your home.  But until then, let me offer you a place to stay…

"Imagine, if you had told me then, that being a Harper would be this much fun, I would have laughed in your face." Said David.

"Yes, and living in this world has surely been interesting.  Though I still don't understand how we can do all the things that our former selves could do." Replied Gwen.  "I just sort of accepted it, and never asked."

"I think I figured that one out.  I think when we were given these bodies; we absorbed what was left of the spirits that had lived in them.  So we absorbed all of the knowledge necessary to function."

There retrospection was interrupted unfortunately by an incessant pounding on the door of their home.  The two of them glanced at the door, and in unison got up form their seats and moved towards the door, Gwen picking up her sword on the way.  They had set up a peephole in their door, and David peered threw and saw who it was, and gave a sigh of relief.  He motioned to Gwen to put away her sword and opened the door.  He then let in a haggard looking half-elf in studded leather.

"Zan, what are you doing here?" David asked of the half-elf.

"No choice.  Had to come here.  I needed backup, those bandits I told you about last week.  Well, it turns out their leader is a well established fist fighter.  I tried to fight him, but he wears a pare of gauntlets that he can block sword slashes with.  That's why I need your help.  I remember you showing me those fighting techniques of yours, and thought that you might be able to show him up, because he accepts challenges."

"I see.  Well maybe I can give him a good fight, but just in case," David turned to Gwen. "Bring your bow."

Gwen grinned.

Zan, with his long daggers, David, with his gleaming scythe, and Gwen, who now had a massive long bow in her hand, as well as the long sword and shield she always carried.  Zan was leading them to the place where he had run afoul of the bandits.  And sure enough they were their.  They didn't even bother to hide; they were just standing there in road, some sitting on a fallen tree, the rest, standing around.  In total there were about twelve of them.  One was standing in front of the fallen tree practicing combinations of kicks, punches, and similar strikes.

We sauntered right up to them, not even slowing.  That's when they stopped us.  Three of them, stepped in front of us.  Two were small, and holding short swords, but the third made up for the lack of size, for he was a good 7 feet tall and very well built, and he was holding a massive great sword.

One of the small ones pointed to them.

"You must pay a toll to pass on this road."

David smirked at the confidence in the voice, "Under whose authority."

The one who had been practicing the attacks stepped forward. "Mine."

David turned to this one.  "And who might you be."

"I am Solazan the fist.  If you don't want to pay, you could always challenge me to combat.  If you can make me give up, or beat me unconscious, you may pass.  If you lose however, I will take from you what I will.  Do you wish to issue a challenge?"

"Yes, I do."

"Alright, unarmed, or do you wish to use that weapon of yours."

"Unarmed I think.  This is for more worthy opponents."  David handed the scythe to Zan, and then took up a fighting stance, left foot forward, weight on the back leg, left hand covering the high line, right covering the low line.

"I will make you eat those words."  Solazan took up a similar stance, but with his right side forward instead of his left.

Solazan came at David with several short jabs followed up by a massive round house kick.  David ducked under the kick and followed with a sweep, which jumped over.  The two opponents backed off, now with a small understanding that both knew what they were doing.

David then charged at Solazan.  Solazan neatly sidestepped the rush, believing that he had dodged the attack, but that was when David fell forward onto his hands, and launched himself feet first back into Solazan.  Solazan, caught completely off guard by this attack was sent stumbling backward when David's feet collided with his stomach.  David sprang back to his feet, and again charged his opponent, who was too dazed to dodge this time, and delivered a massive spear.  David backed off and waited as Solazan slowly staggered to his feet.  Solazan then came in at David with a right hook, but David dodged underneath it, while rapping his right arm around Solazan's torso, and followed this up by lifting him up and slamming him to the ground, in a move that the bandits had never seen before.  David and Gwen on the other hand, knew it as a "Rock Bottom."  David sprang to his feet, while Solazan lay their, very much unconscious.  The bandits stared at this, and all ran away as fast as their legs could carry them.

That's when David heard a strange noise.  It was coming from the side of the road, near the trees.  The noise was clapping.  And a man stepped out of the woods.  He was wearing clothes that were fit for traveling, but still very fine in make.  And to David, he seemed oddly familiar.  It wasn't the mans purple eyes, or his shock white hair, that reminded him of the past, it was something in his stance, and his expression that gave him memories of the past, which he had left behind.

"Would you like me to conjure you some ring ropes?  Then you could give the poor fool a People's elbow."


End file.
